MS-53 Fred Marshall Papers

Access and Provenance

Series Listing

Brief Biographical Sketch

After World War I was declared, Marshall was inducted into the Armed Services and was placed into the photo section of the Signal Corps. For three months he attended the Columbia University of Cinematography, where he engaged in an intensive study of photography for military usages. First, he was stationed at the Pathe Brothers factory in Paris, France. Next, he was sent to Hague, Holland in October of 1918 for the purpose of setting up photographic, cartographic, and photostatic laboratory equipment. In 1919 he was discharged from the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant.

He then obtained a position in the Engineering Division of the Air Corps at McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio. Soon he was working in the Technical Data Branch, where he participated in the compilation of the first aeronautical dictionary for use in military service. He was employed at McCook Field for four years.

In 1926 he married Faith Susan Marshall from Spencer, Kentucky. While employed at McCook Field, Marshall was the editor of a trade paper, known as Slipstream. When the publishers of the only other commercially published aviation paper of the world raised objections, Slipstream was discontinued. In 1923 Marshall resigned his position to inaugurate the Slipstream Publishing Company. He carried on the publication of the Slipstream Monthly until 1928, at which time he sold his interest to Simmons Publishing Company, New York City. Marshall was employed by Simmons Publishing Company as an Assistant Editor. The name of the magazine was changed to Airway Age.

Marshall then worked for Aero Supply Manufacturing Company in Long Island, New York until 1931; at that time the company was discontinued. Then he returned to Dayton and served as the Dayton representative for Pump Engineering Service Company (PESCO) of Cleveland, Ohio until 1943. At this time he retired from business due to ill health and his involvement in the Renegotiation Act of 1943. After recovery, he served as representative for a number of aircraft manufacturers until 1955.

During these years, Marshall wrote many feature stories and articles for the Cedarville Herald and the Dayton Daily News.

In 1962 he was named Chairman of the Board of Nominations for the Aviation Hall of Fame. He resigned as Chairman in 1963 but continued his membership. He became a member of the Greene County Historical Society and belonged to the Old Mill organization.

Involved in conservation activities, Marshall wrote many articles dealing with areas surrounding Dayton - Yellow Springs, Clifton Gorge, John Bryan Park, etc. In the early 1970's he built a log cabin, constructing it by the same methods used by pioneers. He also compiled the Wright Brothers Chronology 1903-1908. In 1970 he was honored at a luncheon by the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce for outstanding contributions to the research of aviation history.

His wife Faith died on September 25, 1972 after suffering a lengthy illness. They had been married 46 years. Fred Marshall died in December of 1974.

Scope and Content

The researcher should be aware of the following before using the collection:

1. Most of the rough drafts for the feature stories do not have page numbers. Thus, the researcher will have some difficulty in reading and following the continuity of the stories. The processor has left the unnumbered pages in their original order when donated. Any pages with numbers have been arranged to their correct numerical order.
   
2. There are missing issues of Slipstream. Wright- Patterson Air Force Base has bound Volumes 1-13 at the Technical Library on Area B. The Air Force Museum also has a number of issues. Both places are located on Springfield Pike in Dayton, Ohio.
   
3. Correspondence is divided into each series, instead of placed all together in one section. The reasoning behind this is that Fred Marshall saved an enormous amount of correspondence, each dealing with different aspects in his life. Thus, family correspondence covers his family and personal life, business correspondence is placed in his business dealings with Slipstream and PESCO, the feature stories contain the correspondence correlating to each story, and the aviation correspondence is filed with his endeavors in aviation. In this way, the researcher has everything "at his fingertips" concerning one of the aspects of Fred Marshall's life.
   
4. Due to deterioration of most of the newspapers, all articles have been photocopied. Some articles were merely clippings, so no dates were available.

Series I, Family Correspondence and Photographs, contains correspondence dealing with family and personal matters dating from 1940 to 1974. Also contains photographs and negatives of family members and home life. Arranged chronologically by date.

Series Il, Feature Stories, contains correspondence, rough drafts, final drafts, photographs, negatives, records, scrapbooks, broadsides, magazines, posters, and a map. At first it is arranged chronologically by date. Then, as the feature stories have no dates, each file contains one feature story. The stories are divided into fiction, Indian stories, conservation activities, individual men of the Dayton area, and a variety of poems. Each file containing one story is arranged with correspondence in the beginning, then rough drafts, and final drafts in the end.

Series Ill, World War I, contains correspondence, newsletters, tickets, floor plans, maps, brochures, photographs, negatives, postcards, and magazines. Everything deals with Fred Marshall's activities in the war serving as a combat photographer.

Series IV, Slipstream, contains correspondence, telegrams, cards, membership applications for Slipstream, broadsides, volumes of Slipstream, and loose issues.

Series V, PESCO, contains correspondence, photographs, and materials dealing with Fred Marshall's work at the Pump Engineering Services Company. Complete information concerning the trial of Marshall in the Renegotiation Act with exhibits and trial outcome is included.

Series VI, Aviation Correspondence, contains correspondence, photographs, and magazines covering Fred Marshall's interest in aviation with the Wright Brothers Chronology, the Aviation Hall of Fame, and McCook Field. Material arranged chronologically.

Series VII, Wright Brothers Chronology, contains rough and final drafts, lay-outs, final story in the Sunday Magazine, photographs, and the copyright claim of the Chronology.

1. Broadside - Ohio's Tree Monarch
   
2. Magazine article, June 23, 1928 - The Life Story of Wallace Reid
   
3. Sunday Magazine, Aug. 26, 1962 - The Father of Labor Day
   
4. Two posters - To a Seeing Eye Dog
   
5. One map drawing of Clifton Gorge Plot willed to John Patterson
6. Two broadsides:
   A. Slipstream
   B. Slipstream Aviation Magazine
   
7. Three volumes Slipstream:
   A. Jan., 1923 - Sept., 1924
   B. Oct., 1924 - Dec., 1925
   (Fred writes story of Slipstream on inside leaflets)
   C. Jan., 1927 - June, 1928
   
8. Unidentified photograph of dirigible
   
9. Sunday Magazine, Oct.11,1970 - Letter to the Editor
   
10. Three issues Sunday Magazine:
    A. Aug. 24, 1969
    B. Aug.31, 1969
    C. Sept. 7, 1969